Ag Land Trust receives more than $8M in grants to preserve Salinas Valley farmlands
SALINAS VALLEY — California Strategic Growth Council has approved more than $8.3 million in grants to the Ag Land Trust (ALT), a nonprofit dedicated to farmland preservation along the state’s Central Coast.
The funding will enable the organization to purchase conservation easements on three key...
Valley awards honor King City High School Agriculture Department and FFA
KING CITY — King City High School Agriculture Department and FFA were recognized with the 2022 Education Award last Saturday at the 16th Annual Valley of the World Awards, presented by the National Steinbeck Center.
The school is home to a state-ranking ag program,...
Women in agtech: Ellie Symes
Editor’s Note: The following profile is an excerpt from Amy Wu’s book, “From Farms to Incubators: Women Innovators Revolutionizing How Our Food is Grown,” which tells the stories of women entrepreneurs who are transforming agriculture through high technology.
Ellie Symes could easily pass for the...
Monterey County establishes hotline to report agricultural employee safety concerns
MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office has established a dedicated hotline to report agricultural concerns related to farmworker safety as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, wildfire smoke and the safe use of pesticides.
The phone number, available for both English and Spanish...
Farms statewide hit by storms and floods
MONTEREY COUNTY — Warm atmospheric river storms wreaked havoc on California last week, causing widespread flooding from rain and snowmelt, which overfilled rivers and creeks, displaced residents, washed out roads and damaged agriculture.
In Monterey County, there was significant flooding along the Salinas River and...
ALBA celebrates National Fruits and Vegetables Month by cultivating new farmers and fresh food in Salinas Valley
SALINAS VALLEY — As the country celebrates National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month this June, the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) is spotlighting the farmers behind the produce — and the power of farming to change lives.
Located in the heart of the Salinas...
Lockwood 4-H hosts virtual record book workshops
LOCKWOOD — Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, Lockwood 4-H Club has managed to stay active with several events.
On Feb. 13, the club hosted the first of three County Record Book Workshops. Of the 14 4-H clubs in Monterey County, eight of those clubs had members...
Monterey County’s Covid-19 infection rates highest in agriculture
SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County Health Department reports that 475 agriculture workers, or 36.79 percent of the county’s total confirmed cases, have been infected with Covid-19 as of June 22.
A large gap separates that figure and the 261 “unknown or under investigation” category, and...
King City farm labor contractors receive suspended prison sentences for workers’ compensation fraud
KING CITY — Monterey County Judge Rafael Vasquez has sentenced King City residents and farm labor contractors Elias Perez Jr., 43, and Alejandra Perez, 40, to three years in prison for insurance fraud committed between 2013 and 2017.
Vasquez also suspended those prison sentences, placing...
Salinas schools to close as Taylor Farms fire, evacuation order continues
SALINAS — A fire in a Salinas food processing plant that has prompted authorities to evacuate surrounding neighborhoods has now closed four nearby elementary schools as sunrise approaches Thursday.
City officials announced the closure shortly after 5:30 a.m. Thursday for Lincoln Elementary, Monterey Park Elementary, Sherwood...
